The Mansion Awaits Spring - Chapter 224

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 224
Once the contract was finalized and the Dye transferred from Miller, the Emperor reviewed the document.
Miller’s handwriting was written with excessive tremor. The Emperor finally asked what he’d been wondering about since before.
“Your hand.”
When the Emperor tilted his chin toward it, Miller’s gaze shifted to his own right hand. The Emperor continued.
“It didn’t seem like this before, but today I notice it’s… shaking a bit? Has something happened?”
“Ah.”
In the hostility underlying that question, Miller felt a chill run down his spine.
Immediately afterward, he recalled something Pejin had once said during a meal. It was around the time Pejin had injured his arm during a mission and returned to the Dieusz Grand Duchy for about a month of rest.
Back then, Pejin had worried about the injury to a degree that seemed odd to observers. Even when Miller suggested he should view it as an honor, having been wounded during a mission, Pejin had simply insisted, unconditionally, that it must heal without the slightest aftereffect.
“Otherwise, you might have to quit the police. His Majesty the Emperor truly despises such things.”
The ‘such things’ Pejin had referred to then was his arm. The words Pejin had spoken while holding up his arm had grown blurry and faded, but now that this situation had arrived, they suddenly blazed to life in his mind like a light switched on.
Alternating his gaze between Miller’s injured hand and the poorly formed characters, the Emperor’s undisguised hostility became clear. Miller understood: if a permanent disability developed in his hand, the Emperor would look upon him with that very gaze forever.
Miller suppressed his fear and spoke as calmly as possible.
“I’ve been drinking far too much lately. Once I settle down, I’ll have to stop.”
“Ah, it was the drink, then.”
Only upon hearing this explanation did the Emperor’s expression soften. After learning it was the drink, his manner toward Miller became almost cordial.
“So you’re fond of drinking?”
“I am.”
“Well, Pejin was the same way—brothers are brothers, aren’t they? Once the war ends, the fine liquor of the Grand Duchy will be ours, and we’ll celebrate Kronock with it then, drinking our fill.”
Having said that, the Emperor invited Miller to share drinks with members of the Imperial Family. Miller thought it better to drink heavily and use the tremor as an excuse, so he agreed. As he drank with the Imperial Family, Miller swore to himself again and again that at least this hand must remain hidden from the Emperor.
* * *

The Dye was promptly delivered to the Academy.
Rasa had long since obtained fabric dyed with the Lunos Family’s Dye. The experiments on producing large quantities of Dye by studying that fabric had also concluded successfully. However, producing such vast quantities of Dye required the Dye Concentrate of the Lunos Family, and Miller provided that final piece.
Having handed over the Dye to the Academy, the Emperor waited for the successful report while speaking to the Academy Director, who was serving him tea.
“Miller Dieusz is far easier to handle than Pejin.”
“Yes, I share that sentiment. When compared to one who has rolled about in the police force…”
The Academy Director trailed off, recalling Pejin, who had frequented this Academy.
Whenever the Academy Director thought of Pejin Dieusz’s name, he could not help but feel some unease. Not only Pejin himself, but some of his subordinates had come and gone through this Academy—whenever they were curious about something, they looked into it on their own terms and read research reports. Whenever they needed something, they would take it and return it after quite some time.
Yet the Academy’s scholars had liked when Pejin came. Not only did he treat the scholars, who had light purses, to drinks and meals, but he would sometimes slip them money as well.
At such times, the scholars accepted what Pejin offered without much deliberation. In truth, there was no reason to hesitate. They believed that having nothing to offer in return—being neither politicians nor men of power—there was nothing they could give Pejin in exchange for his money.
They had considered whether Pejin might ask them to falsify research findings, but such a request had never come. And so they had spent a long time together in what was much like a patron-and-protégé relationship.
But now, in this situation, the Academy Director found himself reversing that conviction—that there was nothing they could give Pejin. There was something they could give. He was certain there were scholars among those who had received money from Pejin who had grown closer to him.
Though trade between Rasa and the Grand Duchy had been suspended, it was not as though no ships passed between them. Just the other day, a fishing ship from the Grand Duchy had appeared near Rasa and caused quite a stir.
A ship that appeared in such circumstances could hardly be a mere fishing vessel. The newspapers said it was just a fishing ship that the navy had missed, but the Academy Director did not believe it.
So he could not be certain that even now there were no scholars striving to inform Pejin Dieusz that the Academy had obtained the Dye. Surely someone would…
While the Academy Director was thus worried, a researcher came running to the two of them.
“We’ve succeeded!”
A successful report came back: with that Dye Concentrate provided by Miller Dieusz, they had produced far greater quantities of Dye.
Once that was resolved, all preparations were complete. The moment he heard the researcher’s report, the Emperor called for his secretary and instructed him.
“Inform the Ministry of War ministers. Begin the declaration of war.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I shall prepare it at once.”
After conveying this, the Emperor rose, and the Academy Director spoke to him.
“I hardly know if I should dare to speak thus, Your Majesty, but you must be careful with intelligence control. Police Commissioner Pejin is a man who will resort to any means to extract information.”
He could not bring himself to mention that the Academy’s scholars had maintained close relationships with Pejin.
Now, before the war, the Emperor was ruthlessly purging people to maintain overwhelming dominance of his power. Fear sealed the Academy Director’s lips. He could only protect his own scholars.
At the Academy Director’s words, the Emperor smiled as if unconcerned.
“Why worry so? Did perhaps someone from the Ragnar Family come here and say something unnecessary?”
The Emperor was growing irritated with the Ragnar Family police who insisted on raising security measures. What did it matter if they learned something in the Grand Duchy? The disparity in power was already overwhelming; knowing a few things would not allow them to overturn the situation.
The Emperor held grievances against the Ragnar Family, the only ones opposing the war. So their every word grated on his ears all the more.
After August Lilyhill left, the Academy Director let out a sigh. Then he caught a researcher and asked.
“I ask just in case, but were there any scholars who owed Police Commissioner Pejin a significant debt?”
The researcher nodded as if it were obvious.
“Yes, quite a few actually. Don’t you know? Especially there are two researchers who are in debt for family hospital bills.”
“Hospital… bills?”
“Yes, one researcher received funds for his child’s hospital bills, and another received funds for her mother’s…”
“Are both of them still here?”
“No, come to think of it, both said they had appointments and left work. Just a moment ago.”
At the researcher’s answer, the Academy Director’s face went pale. And to erase any trace of those two having left, he rose with urgency. For him, the war was ultimately a distant affair. What was near at hand was protecting his own.
* * *
Around Rasa, there were more fishing ships prowling than even the Emperor, let alone the Ragnar Family police who kept watch on Pejin, had anticipated.
This was thanks to April having turned over all the many fishing ships she had in repair to Pejin. She had not let slip the fisherman’s voice, which mentioned that the Lunos Family had once managed ships in need of repair.
All those fishing ships that the Lunos Family had thus taken on, Pejin converted entirely into disguised reconnaissance vessels.
Just as the Academy Director had anticipated, the researchers in debt to Pejin for hospital bills helped each other and sent signals toward that Grand Duchy fishing ship.
And those signals reached the Grand Duchy Ministry of War conference hall directly.
“They report that they’ve succeeded in research to vastly increase the quantity of Fog-blocking Dye.”
At the report from the police officer aboard the reconnaissance vessel, Pejin, in the midst of the conference, narrowed his brow.
“That would be impossible without the actual Dye Concentrate from the Lunos Family…”
Pejin, murmuring thus, let out a hollow laugh. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to calm the anger, and muttered.
“Miller handed it over.”
April looked back at him. Opening his eyes, Pejin met her gaze and apologized.
“I’m sorry. That bastard is my blood relative.”
“But that bastard has fled, and you’ve remained here.”
At April’s response, Pejin forced a smile and nodded. Then he thought quietly.
About the strategy the Emperor would devise now that he had obtained the Dye.
Fortunately, the Emperor’s thoughts were transparent to him.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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